Just Once
by NCISandTIVAaddict
Summary: It was just once, right? It wouldn't destroy their relationship. Their actions do not define them. Just because Tony is wrong for what he did, doesn't mean that Ziva is right. (Tiva, Raw-ish, a drop of Domestic Violence, and a touch of Infidelity.)
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: 'Ello again. Heheh. *waits for death and abuse from readers*  
****I'm sorry for not writing in like, forever. One reason: LIFE. Ugh.  
****Anywayssssss! Here is a NEWWWW story for y'all. ^-^ Teehee. I had nothing else to do, so I wrote. Heh. To my sister: Thanks for helping me with this chapter!  
****Enjoy people &amp; please tell me if I should continue it, or nah. :p It's kind of, raw-ish? lool..idek. **

* * *

He slapped her.

Even she couldn't believe it.  
Yes, maybe she was wrong, but it shouldn't have led to that.

* * *

"You _what_?!"

"I invited your father over for-" Ziva tried to reply, but Tony interrupted.

"Christmas!?"

She frowned.  
At the time, she thought that allowing her father-in-law to spend 3 days of the Holiday (Christmas Eve and the two days after that) at their home was a good idea. It would be a good time for Anthony Sr. and his son to bond, and maybe even be a bit closer than before.

"It will be fun and you will be able to talk to him, Tony." She defended.

Tony squinted his eyes at her.

"I don't want to talk to him and I don't want him in my house, Zee-vah!"

"Well, I cannot just tell him to not come anymore because you have such a bad relationship with him." Ziva looked at him sternly, "That is rude."

"What?!" Tony half yelled, causing his wife to jump a little, "What's rude is that you didn't even ask me! This is my house."

Tony got up from the couch and Ziva quickly followed him to the kitchen.

"This is _our_ house."

They locked eyes for a half a second.

"If your father was alive, do you think that _I _would invite _him _here for Hanukkah?" Tony rebutted.

"But that is beside the point-" She was cut off once again.

"Answer me." His eyes started to soften, "Would I have done that?"

"No. I do not think so."

"Right!" When Ziva looked back into his eyes, they were hard once again. "So why in the world would you do that to me?"

Ziva ignored him. She felt a headache coming on and began to make herself a cup of tea.

It had been a hard week; a test on their relationship. She had accepted an invitation to go to dinner with an old male friend from back home named Alon. She even asked him if it would be alright, and, though hesitant, he said it was okay.

But when she got home that night and he found out that Ziva's friend had invited her for a drink back at his hotel room, he was _not _okay with that. Especially when she said that she accepted, but left as soon as he tried to kiss her neck.

What hurt Tony the most was that Ziva didn't wear her wedding ring that evening, although she did claim that she had forgotten it.

"Are you acting this way because of my dinner with Al?" Ziva asked him, quietly, as she stirred her hot drink.  
She didn't make eye contact with Tony, and he noted that.  
It was almost as if she was…guilty.

Tony was hesitant in his answer. He was scared that he would give away too much. Like the fact that he didn't completely believe her about her night with Alon.

He was going to say, "No. I just don't want to have my dad over this Christmas."

But he ended up blurting, "What did you do with him?"

"_What?_" Ziva's jaw dropped.

"Did you kiss him back?" He raised his voice a little. Just a little.

Her eyes were angry flames. "Excuse me?!"

"The truth offends." He spat his words at her.

"Like the fact that you are such a wuss that you cannot even face your own father?"

"Stop changing the topic, Ziva! Just tell me the truth."

Tension and anger stood a foot between them.

"The truth is that you are so _stupid _and_ idiotic_ that I'm finding it hard to continue loving you." Ziva pushed him, hard, against the counter to get past him (her tea long forgotten), but he stopped her before she could even move.

Before he could even think, he stopped her.

Before he could calm down, he slapped her.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Yeah, yeah..I know that Tony would never slap Ziva. I'm sorry. I really like angst. Yeup, I'm weird. c: Heh. Thanks for the reviews though. :p I wrote this chapter in August o.o Eep..sorry :$**

* * *

_Before he could even think, he stopped her._

_Before he could calm down, he slapped her._

Ziva's breath hitched in her throat and tears blurred her vision.

Her face burned from the impact of Tony's hand and something else that she couldn't quite place. For some reason she felt embarrassed; ashamed even. But why?

Tony had never hurt her before. He didn't look or act like someone who would ever do that. He said that he loved her. And she believed him.

She _believed _him.

The senior field agent had never meant to do it. He had never laid a hand upon a woman before. And, surprisingly, slapping Ziva hurt him too. Not physically, but emotionally.

Then why did he do it?

Tony tried to step towards his wife, but she held up her hands to keep him from coming any further. Her hands were shaking and it broke his heart.

"Ziva..." He croaked, desperate for her forgiveness.

She just took a step back as she tried her hardest not to bawl her eyes out infront of him.

As she shook her head, the Israeli-born woman managed to mumble, "No. Please."

DiNozzo shuddered.  
Seeing Ziva so shaken up, so distant because of him was like a stab to the heart.

Before he could fully apologize, Ziva quickly slide past him, her face void of emotion.

And just like that, he caused her to put her walls back up.

* * *

It's funny how your anger makes you do regrettable things, but when those actions are done, most of your anger fades.  
It's not funny, it's sad.  
Anthony DiNozzo Jr. ended up sleeping on the couch that night.

* * *

At five minutes to one, Tony woke up after hearing a distressed cry from the bedroom at the end of the hall which he shared with Ziva. Without thinking, he made his way to his wife in a flash.

He found her sitting up in bed, sobbing.

Sobbing?

Yes, sobbing hard enough for her whole body to shake.

And when Tony beside her and pulled her small, yet strong frame into his embrace, he was surprised to see that Ziva didn't resist him (or his comfort; whichever one was just fine).

"Nightmare?"

He felt her nod against his chest and not very long after did he feel tears seeping through his t-shirt. They sat there in silence for a few minutes more (or was it seconds?) as Ziva's heart rate slowed back to normal; Tony's heartbeat and his warm, strong arms calming her. The, carefully penetrating the silence, she whispered something that he barely made out.

"Why?"

He didn't realize that the weight of hitting his wife had eased a little until the word escaped her mouth, causing the heavy burden to crush him once again.

"I.." He really didn't know how to reply. The words woman-beater kept popping up in his head.

He was so stupid.

_Woman-beater. Woman-beater._

"I am so sorry, Ziva."

_For hurting you and making your nightmares return and who knows what else I did._

He couldn't bring himself to say anymore after those five worthless words.

When he felt her body move away from him, he knew he had fully blown it. He let his arms drop to his sides.

_Woman-beater. Woman-beater. Woman-beater. Woman-beater._

As he left the room and closed the door, Tony tried his hardest to believe that the sniffles and sobs he heard belonged to his imagination and not Ziva.

_Stupid woman-beater._

* * *

**A/N: Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's stupid, I know. v_v Bear with me, please..?  
Oh yeah! I almost forgot! I already wrote chapter 3 a while back too. If you want me to update please tell me. ~~Later **


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